August 2025 Decisions on Petitions for RFS Small Refinery Exemptions
Summary
On August 22, 2025, EPA announced its decisions on 175 individual small refinery exemption petitions from 38 refineries seeking an exemption from their Renewable Fuel Standard obligations for the 2016–2024 compliance years. In consultation with the Department of Energy, EPA reviewed all the information submitted by each individual refinery in support of its petition. After careful consideration of all statutory factors and the information submitted by the refineries, EPA is granting full (100 percent) exemptions to 63 petitions, granting partial (50 percent) exemptions to 77 petitions, denying 28 petitions, and determining 7 petitions to be ineligible.
This document articulates EPA’s interpretation of section 211(o)(9) of the Clean Air Act and EPA’s authority with respect to SRE petitions. As required by CAA section 211(o)(9), EPA’s final actions on the pending SRE petitions are based on the legal and factual analysis presented herein, after consulting with DOE, and considering the DOE Small Refinery Study and “other economic factors.”
This document also explains how EPA will implement SRE decisions when an exemption is granted. In addition, this document articulates the status of 34 SRE petitions from 31 refineries for the 2016–2018 compliance years.
The decisions in this document are final Agency actions.